After last year's remodel in my home, the dust has finally settled enough to refine the details.These stairs were carpeted in their previous life.  They were then painted with darker colors, which at the time was the style.  With the new design, the stairs need an "uplift".  Even the cat appreciates lighter, brighter feel!
Selecting the font had to be the joining of sleek & a little old fashion.  Trolling Pinterest for fonts, I found this one.  I saved it,  enlarged it, printed it, and traced it.  Laying on the stairs to paint hand paint the numbers was the hardest part of the job.  ​Transfer/carbon paper

Time tested, cat approved!  If he looks familiar, he can be seen in McKinney Cottage Schmear; An Extraordinarily Easy Fireplace Update

I like to paint . . . A LOT, but the opportunity rarely presents itself on a regular basis.  My blog partner brought me a blank, framed canvas a few weeks ago.  I finally took a weekend off & did a few things I wanted to do.

This was a pre-made, framed print - it had been purchased at a Blockbuster years ago.  We taped it off & painted the canvas white with a primer.

A lamp & pillow were the color/style inspiration, but that was about it.  I was given free reign to create my own design.  So here I am wondering how to get this started.  Her son wanted a large piece of artwork and I have never, ever tried anything like this.  The print was destined for Goodwill if it didn't get a makeover, so I had nothing to lose.

It wasn't as hard as I thought.  I liked the freedom & loose style.  It pushed me further and challenged me to try new things.  For example, I didn't have a spray bottle with water, so I gave the painting a misting of Febreze.  It mottled the paint & gave it an unexpected texture.

Ah, an old dog can learn new tricks. I am by no means an expert at any of this, but I can say trying is half the battle. It's not what ya know but what ya do.  I got so inspired I even went out & bought new brushes. There's nothing like a natural bristle that will get the stroke on  . . . Oh Yeah!

I was given a pair of 1922 Chippendale beds from my sister-in-law which were inherited from her  grandmother.  Her name was Christine also & she was from Electra, Texas.  My in-laws also lived  there just after WWII. 
To be accurate, I actually put two headboards together & sold the footboards at a garage sale. I hated the footboards because they were half the height & had music lairs.  They sat in my barn for years & when my youngest daughter moved out I brought them in for the spare room.
This is the space where I've put our manly-family mementos.  Although feminine, this  room is a tribute to my Northern California, outdoor lifestyle.  Living a "Huck Finn" childhood, I cherished the masculine treasures as much as my mother's old cookbooks. Fusing our  families' memories, creates the perfect  visual connection.
I digress, everything has a back story for me - but that is how  I connect to everything I own!  That is why I continue to make improvements to the things I already have.  This is where I tell you how I upcycled this old bed . . .
I neither sanded nor stripped this bed frame.  I used my homemade chalk paint  recipe.  My first 2
coats of  paint were a dark, charcoal gray.  Next I did another 2 coats but in white.  I will admit I used a bottle of $2.99 white craft paint with the chalk paint recipe.  I sanded to taste & applied a coat of wax.  The dark base coat gives an extra
dimension after lightly sanding.

 

5.  Create a felted, flower pillow  
 
6.  Make vintage, sewing notion jewelry   
 
7.  Photograph and blowup a picture and frame artwork  

8.  Make trendy looking, monogrammed or stenciled hand or tea towels 

9.  Finish enclosing my back porch with screen doors and shutters.   **This is a
biggy**   I have been  collecting doors & shutters forever!  

10.  Get the "baby" dresser from the attic.  Clean, repair and find a place for it 

11.  Tile my back fireplace & hearth (spending  allowance only $40 - ReStore Store visit in order!) 

12.  Paint a fresh coat on my outdoor furniture - it's a massive undertaking  

13.  Make a Christmas runner with the  vintage patterns I scanned from a client's project I created in 2011  
  
14.  Make those Christmas cards I have talked about for 15 years! 

15.  Do something with those GIANT acorns I have stashed for a year  

16.  Paint a bird on silk again using a light box  

17.  Finish that neglected trellis (paint it too) 

18.  Cover all those mismatched fabric boxes with something I like,

19. Finish painting that vintage bed 

20.  Rewire at least 2 of those hanging lights in the barn and do something with them

Wow, this is a drop in the bucket of my running list of "wanna  do's", but is a good beginning.   No more pouring through the  magazine "tear outs", no more wandering from room to room,  gazing at each wall - trying to inspire myself - then going off  doing some laundry.  Lucky #13- 2013!

P3  has been chosen . . . some are easy, some - well not so 
simple at all!  These are things that have been waiting in the    wings for ages.  I will see how I can cut through this list.  What does your list look like? 

I go into this year with a full heart, hand full of artistic materials and a true desire to get it done!

To see our related post & videos:

The Science & Art of Painting Fabric

The Science & Art of Chalk Paint

YouTube – Painting Fabric

YouTube -  Padded Shutter Headboard

OK, we are chalk paint novices so "Science & Art" might be strong language, but we got your attention. There is a buzz about making your own chalk paint.  We saw it on line in a million different places & thought "Let's try this"; there is nothing to lose but time.  The verdict is in & we LOVE the chalk paint.  We found a recipe on line & modified it slightly.  We tried it on the plastic shutters that we are using for our headboard & it exceeded our expectations.  It adheres like white cat hair on a black sweater--you know what I'm talking about.  Our experience showed us that it thickens up quickly & you have to keep it loose with water.  We used a white flat paint for this project & plan to try other types /colors of paint for future projects--we'll keep you posted!

The Recipe--cup of flat paint to 1 TBSP of unsanded grout, best if mixed in its own container with lid.  Make 1 cup at a time.

Too see our related post & videos;

Constructing Upholstered Shuttered Headboard

The Science & Art of Chalk Paint

YouTube – Painting Fabric

YouTube -  Padded Shutter Headboard

To see more of our related post & videos;

Constructing Upholstered Shuttered Headboard

The Science & Art of Chalk Paint

YouTube – Painting Fabric

YouTube -  Padded Shutter Headboard